by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
As the market slows down a bit, sellers need to be a little more creative when trying to sell their home.
Allisyn Wood, accredited staging professional and owner of Coastal Coordinations in St. Augustine, wants to help.
“Coastal Coordinations was created to help homeowners help get their property ready to go on the market,” said Wood. “I go into a house, whether it is occupied or vacant, and give them recommendations on what they need to do to bring the property up to par before they start the marketing process.”
Though staging may be new to some, it has been around since 1972, but mainly on the west coast.
“It’s a new concept to this area and it is really hard to get people to understand what I do,” she said. “Realtors should hire a stager to get the most of the house. Any staging is going to cost less than the first reduction. It is a buyer’s market out there right now. There are many homes on the market in St. Augustine.
“So, it’s very important to set yourself apart and give people a reason to choose your property. If your buyer walks into a home that is all cluttered, they are going to wonder that if the seller doesn’t take care of that then what else did they not take care of.”
Wood prepared for this new endeavor by taking a course online from www.stagedhomes.com.
“Barb Schwarz started staging in 1972 in Belleview, Wash. when she was a Realtor,” said Wood. “She was talking to one of her listings and said ‘We really need to stage your home. It’s like a theater. You would be the producer, your home is the stage and I would be the director.’ It’s really huge on the west coast and she’s been doing this for 30 years now. The statistics are phenomenal.”
In order to stage a home, Wood goes in and de-clutters, cleans, does minor repairs, de-personalizes and gives the home broader appeal.
“You want that buyer to picture themselves in that home,” she said. “You need to take down all the family photos, wedding photos and collectibles.”
Wood said she might recommend removing some of the furniture to open up the space to give it a nice flow.
If the house is vacant, she may recommend bringing in a small vignette to give the home some life.
“If the homeowner wants to put more money into their home to get more money out of it, then we can recommend new flooring, new cabinets or refurbishing bathrooms,” she said.
Wood works with several subcontractors including landscapers, pressure washers, painters, handymen and other industry professionals.
“One of the catch phrases Barb Schwartz leaves us with is that the way you live in your home and the way you market and sell your house are two different things,” said Wood.
Wood is the co-president of the local chapter of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, which has accredited staging professionals from Fernandina Beach to Palm Coast.